Kicking and Screaming
Trimark Pictures | Release Date: October 6, 1995 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
There's plenty of wit on the surface, but the pain of paralysis comes through loud and clear. Read full review
90
NewsweekDavid Ansen
A witty movie -- with a fine ear for the undertone of aimless chatter -- that never raises its voice to make hollow Gen-X proclamations. Read full review
90
TimeRichard Corliss
But the writer-director is canny enough to salt the stew with poignance, so that by the end these attitude machines have become human beings -- more than the sum of their chiseled jokes. Read full review
88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Like the stationary figures it portrays, Kicking And Screaming is alive at the edges; it comes with a vibrant border of trenchant asides, tossed-off remarks that blend the solace of protective irony with the sterner stuff of hard truth. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The final affirmation of this romance is really an affirmation of Baumbach's talent: that a young filmmaker fixated on the solipsistic rituals of guyhood understands the hearts of women, too. Read full review
80
Washington PostHal Hinson
As a writer, Baumbach loves smart, glib talk, and he has a sharp ear for fast-paced, overlapping dialogue; as a director, though, he prefers long takes that allow his characters to work out their feelings. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Baumbach surely does make these characters, all of whom are impeccably acted, absolutely real, but at 25 he may be too close to the material to achieve the detachment from which irony and meaning flow. Read full review
80
The New YorkerBruce Diones
The picture has a lovely, understated autobiographical lilt. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Kicking and Screaming doesn't have much of a plot, but of course it wouldn't; this is a movie about characters waiting for their plots to begin. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Scenes move from hurt to resigned laughter and ring poignantly true. The heroically unfashionable result is a minor but distinct pleasure. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Written and directed by newcomer Noah Baumbach with an excellent ear for absurdity and a keen eye for the offhand realities of everyday life in a den of unmitigated slack. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
The film succeeds in finding something sweetly romantic and visually fresh in Grover's flashback memories of Jane, along with allowing Grover plenty of room for wisecracks. Read full review
70
VarietyGreg Evans
The director is more successful in setting an easy, low-key tone, with nicely framed shots and subtle camera movements downplaying the script's pretensions. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
It’s a nice debut piece for director Baumbach, despite the film’s reliance on the twentysomething blues formula. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
We've seen this story so many times that it's starting to wear thin. In many ways, Kicking and Screaming is mildly enjoyable, but all it really does is go over old ground with new characters. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineStaff(not credited)
First-time director Noah Baumbach seems to have learned everything he knows about the world from MTV, and his style suggests that he's taken a lot of notes at Whit Stillman and Hal Hartley pictures. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
Moviegoers of rarefied sensibilities will easily identify this anti-captain-of-industry as a "typical Eric Stoltz role," just as moviegoers of extremely rarefied sensibilities will pick up on Kicking's "typical Chris Eigeman role." [23 Oct 1995, Pg.06.D]
25
San Francisco ExaminerBarbara Shulgasser
Baumbach is obviously a bright man, but this material is too thin for anything more than a slight New Yorker short story about thoughtful screw-ups. Read full review
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